Combined blade holder and dispenser

ABSTRACT

A one-piece holder and dispenser for flat relatively thin oblong articles which have a thicker portion between their ends the dispenser having a plurality of slots or grooves each adapted to receive the article slidable endwise therein, the slots having a narrower portion in which the thicker portion of the article is wedged but releasable by endwise outward shifting of the article for a portion of its length. In accordance with the specific disclosure the article comprises a paper wrapped hair shaper blade the wrapper being overlapped midway of the ends of the blade which thereby comprises the thicker portion adapted to be wedged in the narrower portion of the respective slot.

finite States Braginetz 51 Feb. 22, 11972 [54] COMBINED BLADE HOLDER AND 3,097,739. 7/ 1963 Burnham ..206/56 AC DISPENSER 932,137 8/1909 Kaufman ..206/46 BL Primary ExaminerWilliam T. Dixson, Jr, AtmmeyWatson, Leavenworth & Kelton [57] ABSTRACT A one-piece holder and dispenser for flat relatively thin oblong articles which have a thicker portion between their ends the dispenser having a plurality of slots or grooves each adapted to receive the article slidable endwise therein, the slots having a narrower portion in which the thicker portion of the article is wedged but releasable by endwise outward shifting of the article for a portion of its length. In accordance with the specific disclosure the article comprises a paper wrapped hair shaper blade the wrapper being overlapped midway of the ends of the blade which thereby comprises the thicker portion adapted to be wedged in the narrower portion of the respective slot.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures COMBINED BLADE HOLDER AND DISPENSER THE PRIOR ART IN GENERAL The prior art contains a myriad of patents disclosing combined holders and dispensers in which the blades are posi- .tioned in individual slots from which they may be removed by endwise or longitudinal displacement. Among the many patents disclosing dispensers of this type may be cited Stetson U.S. Pat. No. 1,813,686, Auerbach US. Pat. No. 2,665,802 and Silverman US. Pat. No. 2,829,764. Blades having a protective individual paper wrapping are also well known per se.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention comprises a dispenser which may be economically cast in one piece of plastic material. As so cast it contains a plurality of open-ended slots or grooves in each of which may be slidably inserted endwise an oblong article comprising in the present specific embodiment of the invention a wrapped blade the wrapper being overlapped at a midportion between the ends of the blade whereby the overall thickness of the article at that area comprises the blade per se and three layers of the wrapping material. The body member of the dispenser has a housing portion enclosing the blades except for an outer open end for endwise insertion or removal of blades, and except that the housing is cut away over the top at the inner end exposing the inner ends of the blades. The slots of the dispenser have an area intermediate the ends of narrowed width whereby the wrapped blade as it is inserted becomes clamped by wedging action in that area but may be released therefrom by manually urging the blade outwardly whereby an outer end is exposed and may be freely removed with the fingers. The blades therefore are normally firmly held in place but are readily removable individually without danger of cutting the fingers.

Various other detail features and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and the description to follow ofa representative embodiment of the invention. Accordingly reference should be had to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled dispenser and blades with two of the five blades for which the dispenser is adapted extending from the open end in a partially removed position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the wrapped blades comprising in this case a hair shaper blade;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view looking at the open end of the dispenser with one blade shown located therein in broken lines;

FIG. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the plane V-V ofFlG.4; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the plane Vl--Vl of FIG. 4.

As shown particularly in FIG. 1 the dispenser comprises an elongated rectangular body 10 which includes a housing secthickness x at the area 16 is about 0.040 of an inch whereas the thickness of the remainder as indicated at y is about 0.030 of an inch.

The section of the dispenser body 10 at the bottom of the interior is provided with a plurality of spaced upstanding ribs 20 which together with the sidewalls define blade slots 21, the reference character 21 being particularly applicable to the bottom portions of the slots. There are four ribs 20 and accordingly five slots 21 in the present dispenser. The sides of the slots at the bottom converge inwardly, that is they become progressively narrower inwardly from the outer end, and the inner ends have a width of about 0.030 of an inch corresponding to the thickness y at the inner ends of the wrapped blades. The taper is particularly useful to permit the molding of the slots over the distance shown without causing problems in withdrawing the core from the die. The width of the slots 21 in the bottom area is not critical providing the inner end is at least equal in width to the dimension y'of the wrapped blade. Preferably, however, the inner ends are approximately equal in width to the dimension y so as to cooperate in maintaining the blades against any looseness and may even provide a small amount of clamping when the wrapped blade is fully inserted. The slots all terminate in the inner end wall 24 which therefore serves as a limiting stop.

The upper portions 25 of the slots are narrower throughout their length from the open outer end to the cutaway portion 12 as the result of lands 26 formed on the sides of the ribs 20 at the upper part portion and corresponding lands 27 and 28 on the sidewalls respectively of the dispenser body. The slot portions 25 taper with the sides converging inwardly from the open end of the housing similar to the bottom slot portions 21. The outer ends are appreciably wider than the thickest portions of the wrapped blades. However, the projecting lands 26, 27 and 28 become thicker toward the cut out area 12 with a corresponding narrowing of the slot portions. The lands include pad sections 29 which preferably are untapered (FIGS.

4 and 6) of substantial length which result in narrower slot tion 11 rectangular in cross section with an outer open end and a forward portion in which the boxlike section 11 is cut away at the top as indicated at 12 to expose therein the wrapped blades 13. Conveniently and economically the dispenser body may be cast in one integral piece of plastic material such as polystyrene.

In the particular embodiment the blades comprise a standard hair shaper blade adapted to be mounted in a holder the blades having a reinforcing backing 14 as is common and in the present case the blade portion extending from the backing has a wrapping 15 which may be of relatively heavy paper. As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper wrapper is overlapped at a mid portion indicated at 16 in FIG. 2. Accordingly the overall thickness indicated at x of the wrapped blade portion at the area 16 includes three layers of the paper and the thickness of the blade per se. In one embodiment the paper per se has a thickness of about 0.010 of an inch, and the blade thickness is also about 0.010 inch and accordingly the portions equal approximately to the thickness .1: of the wrapped blades. Accordingly when the blades are fully inserted they are releasably clamped by wedging action at the pad areas 29. The extent longitudinally of the dispenser of the pads 29 may very substantially dependent upon circumstances. In the present example they extend from the open area 12 to approximately a point indicated by the line 30 in FIG. 6, the particular dispenser being designed for hair shaper blades having a length of about 2% inches and the pad section 29 is about three-fourths of an inch in longitudinal extent. With the dimensions given the dispenser bodies may be molded without taper for the length three-fourths of an inch without causing core removal problems.

Assuming the dispenser has been charged with the wrapped blades, in the dispensing of an individual blade the user places his thumb against the inner end of the blade as afforded by the opening 12 and pushes the blade toward the open end until the wrapped blade area indicated at 16 in FIG. 2 is moved beyond the clamping area resulting from the pads 29, whereupon the user may grasp the outer protruding end of the blade which is freely removable from the dispenser body.

Various changes may be made in the combined container and dispenser depending upon circumstances including particularly the dimensions of the wrapper blade or other article desired to be housed and dispensed and accordingly different embodiments of the invention made without departing from the scope thereof, and it is intended that all matter contained herein shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined container and dispenser for generally flat oblong articles comprising an oblong generally tubular body member having an outer open end, and a plurality of slots extending longitudinally from the open end with article stop means at the inner ends of the slots, said slots each having a section spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the open end of narrower width than the respective sections adjacent the open end and dimensioned and adapted to releasably clamp the intended article therein when fully inserted endwise the article being loosely held in the outer section adjacent the open end, the tubular form being cut away at and adjacent the inner end thereby to expose the inner ends of the articles when fully inserted whereby the articles may be manually engaged individually and pushed toward the outer end where they are substantially released from the clamping and may be freely removed by manual grasping thereof.

2. Combined container and dispenser in accordance with claim 1 in which said body member is of integral one piece plastic material.

3. An article container and dispenser comprising an oblong body member having an outer open end and a plurality of slots extending longitudinally from said open end, and a generally flat elongated article releasably mounted in each of the slots, said article having a longitudinally extending section thicker than an adjacent section, and said slots having a narrowed section dimensioned and adapted to releasably clamp the thicker section of the article when fully inserted endwise, the body member having a cutaway portion exposing the inner end of each article whereby it may be manually engaged to move it outwardly a limited distance, the article being loosely mounted in the respective slot when moved outwardly a distance sufficient to release said thicker section respective narrowed slot section.

4. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which said narrowed sections of the slots are spaced inwardly a substantial distance from said outer end.

5. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 4 in which the thicker section of the article is located at a mid portion, the adjoining sections toward either end being thinner.

6. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which the articles comprise a wrapped cutting blade.

7. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which the article is a cutting blade with an outer wrap the thicker section resulting from overlapped portions of the wrapper intermediate the ends of the article.

8. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which said body member has a tubular portion extending inwardly from said outer end enclosing the outer ends of the articles, and an inner open top portion exposing the inner ends of the articles whereby the articles may be manually pushed outwardly to release them from the clamped position.

from the 

1. A combined container and dispenser for generally flat oblong articles comprising an oblong generally tubular body member having an outer open end, and a plurality of slots extending longitudinally from the open end with article stop means at the inner ends of the slots, said slots each having a section spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the open end of narrower width than the respective sections adjacent the open end and dimensioned and adapted to releasably clamp the intended article therein when fully inserted endwise the article being loosely held in the outer section adjacent the open end, the tubular form being cut away at and adjacent the inner end thereby to expose the inner ends of the articles when fully inserted whereby the articles may be manually engaged individually and pushed toward the outer end where they are substantially released from the clamping and may be freely removed by manual grasping thereof.
 2. Combined container and dispenser in accordance with claim 1 in which said body member is of integral one piece plastic material.
 3. An article container and dispenser comprising an oblong body member having an outer open end and a plurality of slots extending longitudinally from said open end, and a generally flat elongated article releasably mounted in each of the slots, said article having a longitudinally extending section thicker than an adjacent section, and said slots having a narrowed section dimensioned and adapted to releasably clamp the thicker section of the article when fully inserted endwise, the body member having a cutaway portion exposing the inner end of each article whereby it may be manually engaged to move it outwardly a limited distance, the article being loosely mounted in the respective slot when moved outwardly a distance sufficient to release said thicker section from the respective narrowed slot section.
 4. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which said narrowed sections of the slots are spaced inwardly a substantial distance from said outer end.
 5. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 4 in which the thicker section of the article is located at a mid portion, the adjoining sections toward either end being thinner.
 6. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which the articles comprise a wrapped cutting blade.
 7. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which the article is a cutting blade with an outer wrap the thicker section resulting from overlapped portions of the wrapper intermediate the ends of the article.
 8. An article container and dispenser in accordance with claim 3 in which said body member has a tubular portion extending inwardly from said outer end enclosing the outer ends of the articles, and an inner open top portion exposing the inner ends of the articles whereby the articles may be manually pusheD outwardly to release them from the clamped position. 